RED BLUFF – The public is invited to meet Quaker “EarthPeace” activists Ruah Swennerfelt and Louis Cox. The purpose of their visit is to show how the prophetic witness of John Woolman (an 18th century Quaker who spoke out against slavery) is relevant to the work that Friends and concerned citizens are doing today to care for the earth.

This husband-and-wife team from Vermont is on a 1,400-mile journey by foot from Vancouver, British Columbia, to San Diego, making public presentation and visiting Quaker meetings and churches. They will discuss how caring for the earth is integral to Friends” long-standing testimonies for simplicity, integrity, peace, and equality.

They will engage participants in exploring next steps that they can take personally and corporately to help transform attitudes toward the earth and all living things.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, there will be a presentation at the home of Kathleen and Doug Smith, 210 Ash St., Red Bluff,.

At 6 p.m. Friday, there will be a presentation and potluck at the home of Lana and John Kitchel, 25255 Third Ave., Los Molinos. Woolman foresaw that strivings after ease, luxury and outward greatness would bring about “great injury to succeeding ages,” not only in the form of physical suffering but in terms of spiritual impoverishment for the affluent.

Woolman”s prophesy is clearly evident today in wars based on the unjust and unsustainable use of nonrenewable resources, as well as manifold social and ecological disruptions due to the combined effects of over-consumption and population pressures.

As part of their talk about Woolman, Swennerfelt and Cox will show how they try to practice what they preach: They live in a hand-built house that is heated and powered by the sun. They grow much of their own food and are part of an eat-local program to encourage people to give more support to local food growers and producers.

They are active in their town?s sustainable living network to promote healthy community life as a key to lowering ecological impacts. Swennerfelt and Cox are the staff of Quaker Earthcare Witness www.quakerearthcare.org, which is an organization devoted to demonstrating the many ways peace, justice, and ecological integrity are interrelated spiritually. You can follow their journey on their Web site: http://www.peaceforearth.org.